My Natural Birth Story... just because

I meant to post this a long time ago...but oh well. I want to post it now! I got pregnant with #2 weighing 215 lbs and I'm 5'5". I gained aboutç55 lbs with this pregnancy (I gained 60 with my first). I have an apron belly and it never went away. I had NO complications with either of my pregnancies. My first was a vaginal birth with an epidural (I wanted to go natural but it didn't work out that way after 37 hours of back labor.) Anyway... Here is my natural birth story of baby #2!

At 41 weeks I had my membranes stripped (Tuesday Oct 6). It felt a little weird but did not hurt at all. I was mad at myself for giving in but by the next day I was having regular contractions in the front. (I was worried I would have all back labor like last time.) Just a few an hour starting in the morning. I bounced on a ball and did hip circles randomly throughout the day which helped increase my contractions very slowly. We went for a long walk that evening around 5 and by the end of the night the contractions were pretty painful. I tried to sleep around 10 pm and the contractions got way worse in that hour.

By 11pm I couldn't lay in bed anymore. I came out and sat on the couch with Chris and watched TV. Eventually sitting on the couch hurt too much as well because my contractions moved to my back. I started leaning over the side of the couch to relieve some of the pain. I called my doula around 12:30 and my mom because I started vocalizing through the contractions. I started timing them again (I had been all day but stopped when I tried to rest) and they were about3 mins apart.

Once mom and my doula got to our house we went to the hospital. We got there around 1 am. Chris got me to the hospital in less than 5 minutes. I didn't even have a contraction in the car after we left the driveway. I had a new nurse so it took her a while to do anything. (Get my monitors on, ask me intake questions, check me, etc.) Laying in a bed for contractions was awful. Nothing relieved the pain in that position and I tried my best to breathe through them. I was4 cm when they finally checked me. Since it was so late I got the on call doctor (Dr. Farmer) instead of my own (she was going on vacation.) Once I finally got to a room, it took them 4 tries to get my IV in. It was terrible having to sit there while they fiddled with monitors and waiting for contractions to pass so they could stick me. Sitting was no fun with contractions either!

Once they finally had the hep lock in I was able to labor freely...sort of. I had to keep the monitors on because the baby's heart rate was lower than they would like. The only position comfortable to me was on my knees draped over the front of the bed. The contractions were only manageable when my doula or husband squeezed my hips together. I was feeling pushy by7 cm and it hurt so bad to not push! I was literally screaming and cussing for what seems like every contraction. I think I was able to relax through maybe 1 out of 4 contractions. I barely remember opening my eyes during this time. I do remember questioning why I thought natural labor was good idea. In hindsight, this was probably transition. I have no idea how much time passed at this point. I remember questioning myself and trying to relax but the peak of the contraction made me push involuntarily fairly early on. I reminded myself that each contraction had an end but it still sucked at the time. I got checked a few times in this position and during a contraction...that really sucked! I was doing something right though because by 5 am I was complete and ready to push. I had turned to my side to get checked my the doctor. Contractions felt terrible in that position. Thankfully I only had3 in that position before I was ready to push.

The doctor told me to grab my thighs and pull them towards me and I said "I am fat and that's hard to do!" He said he wouldn't ask me to do it if he didn't think I could. Dr. Farmer was very nice and encouraging. He was only there for the last hour or 2 but he was very supportive and gentle.

I only pushed4 times (on my back) and I felt every thing (the turning and crowning, the baby moving down) and it was totally nuts! Crowning literally felt like my vag was ripping right up the front of me...but only for a second. (I thought labor was way worse than actually giving birth.) Baby came out in 2.5 mins. Everyone was once again very impressed by my pushing skills and I didn't have any tears!

They put Tristen on my chest and he was perfect. He came out with his hand by his face and that's why I had back labor for the last half. His face was a little bruised from the fast birth and had a few scratches. His little head was perfectly round because I pushed him out so fast. They let the cord stop pulsing before Chris cut it. They had to suction him a bit because he had so much mucus in his stomach from coming out so fast. I also had to wait an hour to breastfeed but we cuddled instead. He got 9/9 on both of his APGARS. His eyes were open wide from the beginning just like his brother. He weighed 8 lbs 8 oz and was 21 3/4 inches long. Born at 5:34 am.

Thank you for this awesome, honest account! I plan to go natural and everyone...

Posted
12/23/2015

Thank you for this awesome, honest account! I plan to go natural and everyone thinks I'm nuts lol Would you do it again?

Yes, in a heartbeat! At the time, I was cussing myself for thinking it was a good idea, but really it wasn't as bad as my first pregnancy (not as much back labor, WAY faster) and I was up and walking myself to the bathroom less than 2-3 hours after giving birth. I only needed the ice packs for the first day, I didn't leave the hospital with any pain meds, I had no tears and didn't even use the peri bottle once I got home.

My recovery wasn't terrible for my first birth, but this was still MILES better. I felt great, every one was telling me how great I looked and that I didn't look like I had been up all night and just had a baby. I really felt good! Tired, but good.

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